The Argosy, Vol. 75, No. 4 — page 171: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

SAILING WITH MORGAN. \ with the blood of her friends and per- haps her relatives? You are a fool.” Hetherington’s voice broke in on my thoughts. “ Well, sefiora! Art thou ready to pay thy ransom at the sum that the council will place upon thee? It will be five thousand pieces of eight if I have my say, by very reason of your beauty. It will be well to pay it promptly, for they do not like to wait.” ‘“ But indeed, sefor, | have no such sum, nor have my friends. ‘They have all been mulcted, to say no worse, of what they have to save their own lives. I cannot pay the fourth part of the ~ sum that you have mentioned. If I were given time I can get it from the Havanas where my relatives are, but in this place I have not an hundred pesos—’”’ “Do not say that, sevora.” I could see his evil smile as he said it. “*‘ Do you know what is customary in such case? ”’ “ How should I know? All my life I have lived among caballeros and ladies. Never before have I had aught to do with thieves and murderers.” How I loved her for the taunt! In- voluntarily I reached for my sword- hilt. He stamped his foot angrily. “That will not help you, sefora,’ he said. “Tt is the custom that if the ransom be not paid within the time that 1s taken in the auction—for it is no less —then the prisoner is sold in public asaslave. You can see the choice that is open to you. Yet I am willing to give you the money with which to pay your ransom if in return you will be married to me by the priest before we leave.” She drew herself up haughtily. . “Marry a pirate? A picaroon? A. sea-thief? Better die a thousand deaths,” she said. “Aye, that may be, too. It is quite easy to believe that a time may come in the near future when you will envy those who have died here. You have your choice, seviora,to marry me or—” 873 In her pure presence even he paused, and I felt Oakes’s hand press heavily on my shoulder as I leaped out from the shadow of the stone buttress and accosted Hetherington. “It is a bad time, Captain Hether- ington, to let the prisoners be abroad. If men did not know us they might say, indeed, that we were trying to make some private gain out of it.” [ saw at once that this must be my tone, so that the onus of the quarrel that I knew must come should be cast upon him lest it should be said that I, a green youngster, was trying to carry things with a high hand, and I well knew how this feeling, if started, would interfere with me. His hand dropped to his sash, but before he had time to draw, Oakes had his wrist in a grip of iron. “None o’ that, captain,” he said. “Tt will not go down with us. We are gentlemen adventurers, not your longshore French pirates who will thrust a knife through any man, even their best friends, for a pint of brandy. Keep your hand off your pistols, I say, or by Heaven! I'll drive three feet of cold steel through you.” Hetherington paused, as well he might, and the girl shrank back against the closed door. It may have been fancy, but I thought I saw a look of relief dawn in her eyes when she saw us. 7 “What the devil do you want?” erowled Hetherington. “You to keep away from the church and not to interfere with the guard,” said Oakes in a determined tone. The lady broke in here with: “‘ Have I been insulted enough and may I re- join my friends now inside the build- ing? Or is some further insult in- tended? ”’ Oakes turned to Hetherington and I signed to the guard to open the door. “Sefora,’ I said, bowing over her hand and speaking in a low voice, “you may count upon me. Rough as I am, I will be drawn by wild horses before [ will let harm come to you.” ECORMICLOOKS, (E@)